Kohler K301 dipstick tube loose.

[coinman66]

What holds theses tunes in place? Is it a rubber o ring at the bottom? Whenever I check the oil the tube wants to come up with the dipstick. Just wondering how to fix it.
Thanks

[J-Mech]

Be more specific. There is more than one style. Is it a K301A? What machine is it in?

[coinman66]

Originally Posted by J-Mech

Be more specific. There is more than one style. Is it a K301A? What machine is it in?

It's in a 1975 Cub 1250. Not sure what specific K301 it is. The engine ID tag is missing.

[zippy1]

http://www.cubcadet.com/equipment/AR...______________
this should give you an idea. Looks like the tube is press fit in.
You may have to find the whole KH-47-180-03 Tube Assy, Oil Fill w/o Shoulder Mount | (Tractor Serial No. 582078 & below)

[J-Mech]

That would be a K301A. There are still two different styles of dipstick tubes.
One tube is driven or pressed into the block at the front right corner.
The other style is a tube with a flange that bolts onto the front right side.
On both styles, the tube is not supposed to come off the base. On the style that is driven into the block, it is just that.... a press fit. Take a hammer and a block of wood or a rubber mallet and drive it back down. If it doesn't stay, the tube is likely worn out and you will have to either use some loctite or similar bonding agent to hold it in. FWIW, even when they are good, I put some sealant on the tube. On the other style, I believe that the tube is "soldered" to the base. It can be put back on in the same way. If you don't have a way to reattach it, you could use JB weld... but that would be a last resort. Neither have an o-ring on them that I can recall.

[DoubleO7]

before you buy a new tube..........
you could take it out and lay it on a hunk of 2x4 etc.
Then take a center punch and as best you can put four "dimples" in the inside of tube as far in as you can. Which won't be far.
One at noon, three, six and 9 o'clock.

You have now created some teethe or pimples on the outside of tube.

Now tap it down into the block to suit.

[ol'George]

Another suggestion:

Run the end of the tube on a rotary wire brush to get it really clean.
Then apply soldering paste and put a coating of regular solder on the part that inserts into the block, this increases the diameter a bit.
You don't want gobs of solder on it, just "tinned"
Don't get it too hot, just warm/hot enough to melt the solder.
If you get too much solder on it, just heat it up a little and wipe it off with a damp rag.
Then apply your favorite sealant like permatex #1 or 2 ( I don't like silly cone)
insert it into the block and tap it in with a hammer on a block of wood.
Take care not to damage the part that receives the dip stick, also taking care not to get wood into the hole.
This is not the time that "wood" in the hole is good.

[coinman66]

Thanks everbody for the info on the dipstick tube. Went with Double07 dimple idea and it worked great!